I need motivation to say my prayers!

[scapularkid8]

Would someone be willing to pray the Divine Office with me and/or offer encouragement for me to say my prayers…?

It seems every night I go to sleep and say “okay, no matter WHAT, I will pray the morning prayer!” and I just end up hitting the snooze button eight times and waking up with not enough time to pray and get ready for work…

Suggestions? Ideas? Anyone willing to pray with me so I can be “held accountable” (that sounds bad!)?

 

[Della]

Instead of trying to pray Morning Prayer before going to work, how about praying during your morning break or some other free time? When an individual is praying the offices, there is no hard and fast rule about the time it is prayed. So, take advantage of that and pray it at another time that’s better for you. Trust me, God understands.

 

[scapularkid8]

I just feel that if I’m praying with the Church, it would be better to pray at the prescribed times with the rest of the Church. Nobody in my family will pray the Divine Office with me, so I like to feel a connection to the Church and the other lay people by praying at the set times…I don’t know.

 

[pray4peace]

You can pray any time of day, and they don’t have to be formal prayers or real long ones. I often talk to God throughout the day just to say hello and give Him praise or to share my thoughts. God our Father is our friend, so you can talk to Him anytime.
I find it best to talk when not sleepy or in a rush to go somewhere. You can pray anywhere, anytime, and in your own words. He will be waiting to hear from you no matter where or what you are doing.

Blessings

 

[Della]

I just feel that if I’m praying with the Church, it would be better to pray at the prescribed times with the rest of the Church. Nobody in my family will pray the Divine Office with me, so I like to feel a connection to the Church and the other lay people by praying at the set times…I don’t know.

You are thinking too locally. The Church is throughout the world. No matter what time in the morning you pray Morning Prayer you will be praying it with the Church–perhaps fellow Catholics in another country, but still with the Church. Yes?

 

[scapularkid8]

Oh, yeah! It’s gotta be sunrise somewhere in the world when I pray the morning prayer and same for sunset.

 

[Della]

Oh, yeah! It’s gotta be sunrise somewhere in the world when I pray the morning prayer and same for sunset.

Exactly. I am able to pray Evening Prayer at 3 PM, but Morning Prayer usually has to come between 9 and 10 AM for me. So, I picture myself praying in unison with those who would be praying at 6 AM their time as being my prayer partners.

 

[Trevelyan]

I don’t mean to discourage anyone from praying, and praying any Office at any time is fine.

That said, it is a Liturgy of the Church and the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours says that one should preserve as far as possible the correct hours, because the point is to sanctify the various hours of the day. Morning prayer is at sunrise/early morning so as to consecrate the day to God and sanctify the first ‘hour’ of the day. If one is going to pray the Office, one might as well pray it as it is intended to be prayed, to achieve the intended results of sanctifying the various hours of the day.
(EDIT: sorry, didn’t mean to sound harsh)

Scapularkid, I overcame the problem of hitting the snooze button by putting my alarm clock on the other side of the room so I had to get out of bed to turn it off. I think some spiritual writers say to rise early and spend an hour in prayer in the quiet of early morning (mea culpa, mea culpa - I’d better go to bed early tonight).

 

[richardwy]

Would someone be willing to pray the Divine Office with me and/or offer encouragement for me to say my prayers…?

It seems every night I go to sleep and say “okay, no matter WHAT, I will pray the morning prayer!” and I just end up hitting the snooze button eight times and waking up with not enough time to pray and get ready for work…

Suggestions? Ideas? Anyone willing to pray with me so I can be “held accountable” (that sounds bad!)?

The desire for prayer comes from seeing how incongruous it is for God to love us. Once we’ve been overcome by that fact, we can’t stop praying. Especially for others.

The acts I have done and the things I have left undone during my time on this earth are incompatible with God. Somehow, He takes that, shines light on it, the truth glares, His mercy wins the day.

Remember the women who anointed Jesus’ feet? She that is forgiven much loveth much.

Light, truth, and mercy.

All else falls aside.

William James’ “Variety of Religious Experiences,” the chapters titled “Conversion” and “Saintliness” are earth rockers especially if they be read honestly.

If our true desire be to used up by Him for His purposes and the welfare of others, well, then all else falls into place if we be honest.

I so respect people who cleave to God because He is all good and deserving of all our love. I took the Francis Thompson route. Not recommended.

I now also cleave to Him because of who He is. In the beginning it was because of my destitution and my need of His power.

The Divine Office rocks!

 

[scapularkid8]

I don’t mean to discourage anyone from praying, and praying any Office at any time is fine.

That said, it is a Liturgy of the Church and the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours says that one should preserve as far as possible the correct hours, because the point is to sanctify the various hours of the day. Morning prayer is at sunrise/early morning so as to consecrate the day to God and sanctify the first ‘hour’ of the day. If one is going to pray the Office, one might as well pray it as it is intended to be prayed, to achieve the intended results of sanctifying the various hours of the day.
(EDIT: sorry, didn’t mean to sound harsh)

Scapularkid, I overcame the problem of hitting the snooze button by putting my alarm clock on the other side of the room so I had to get out of bed to turn it off. I think some spiritual writers say to rise early and spend an hour in prayer in the quiet of early morning (mea culpa, mea culpa - I’d better go to bed early tonight).

Yeah this was my original thought. I couldn’t articulate that clearly.